Contact: Bob Ratliff
High-end computing capabilities at Mississippi State are earning a $3 million award from the U.S. Office of Naval Research.
The Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at the university's National Science Foundation/Engineering Research Center will conduct research in three areas: the design of a new class of Navy destroyers, a study of submarine maneuvering capabilities and a continuation of improved computational design programs.
ERC research scientist Roger Briley said the MSU award is part of a strengthened research program in naval-oriented computational engineering advanced this year in Congress by Mississippi senators Trent Lott and Thad Cochran.
"It also is the result of our lab's advanced computer simulation capabilities," the mechanical engineering professor added.
ERC scientists already are working on a university/government/industry effort to design the Navy's newest class of vessels, the DD-21 Land Attack Destroyer. Armed with attack helicopters and a system of unmanned aerial vehicles, the proposed multi-mission ship would be capable of providing major offensive support for American ground forces.
The Navy is sponsoring a design competition for the new vessel, with proposals to be submitted by a "Blue Team" led by Maine's Bath Iron Works Corp. and a "Gold Team" led by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.
MSU research supported by the Navy award will contribute to the efforts of both the Maine and Mississippi teams. Once Defense Department officials agree on a final design, Ingalls and Bath will share equally in construction of all 32 ships planned for the class.
Meanwhile, the submarine-maneuvering program supported by the award is part of the ERC's long-term research with submarine design.
"The objective here is to develop an improved physics-based computational method for determining the maneuvering characteristics of fully-configured underwater vehicles," Briley said. "The ERC's simulation capability will provide predictions and understanding that will help improve the design, performance and operational safety of submarines."
In the third research focus area, the Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab will expand its work on technology that already has introduced a major innovation in computing sensitivity derivatives. Unprecedented in its accuracy, the innovation will enable the Navy to address a broad range of design problems.
"The new technique is being used to design improved marine propulsors," Briley said. "The new funding will support continuation of research in that area."